Joanna's potty training continues to make progress! For a few weeks now, Jo has gotten her poo-poo in the potty more often than not. She usually runs up to me in a panic and starts jumping from foot to foot, and sometimes she says, "Pooh!" I put her on the potty, and she goes! She yells, "Yay, Jo!" after she makes the basket. Sometimes, she doesn't tell me, and she goes on the floor. I say that happens about 1/3 of the time. She almost never goes in her diaper anymore, but it sometimes happens when she is in the crib.
Her poo-poo progress is a direct result of a book I bought her, called Once Upon a Potty. It is a really cute, little story about a girl (or boy, if you get the boy book) who learns how to use the potty. I was surprised the first time I read it to her because it is a little detailed about anatomy! I don't think it is a bad thing at all, but I was definitely not expecting to read the part about the little hole that makes poo-poo. The kids love it, and they cheer for Prudence (the little girl) when she finally poops in her potty. Joanna brings me the book all the time and says, "Prudence?" I read it to her when she sits on the potty.
About a week ago, Jo's behavior on the potty started to change. When I put her on the potty, she actually tries to go. Before, she would run up to me at the last moment before she had to poop, or she would start to tinkle on the floor and then stop until I put her on the potty. Last week, she peed so many times in the potty but only after she started to go on the floor first. This week, she has made numerous successful potty attempts. She tinkled in the potty three times today alone without going on the floor at all! I put her on the potty, and she worked really hard to get some pee-pee out. Then she cheered, "Yay, Jo!"
I feel like the last couple of months were very slow moving on the potty training, but it has suddenly clicked. I wish we could spend another week focusing on potty training, like we did when we first started. We are just so busy with Oliver's classes and stuff that it's not possible. So, she still spends hours a day in a diaper. I hope she will start to go potty before we leave the house so that she can maybe learn to stay dry when we run errands. If she starts to go consistently before we leave and starts to stay dry consistently, then I plan to switch her from diapers to training undies when we leave the house. That step is at least a couple of weeks away, but she will hopefully be ready to go diaperless during the day--even when we are away from home--by her second birthday. In a couple of weeks, we will be switching houses. We'll be leaving Andrew's parents' house and staying with my parents for a few months until we are ready to buy a place of our own after Christmas. I know big changes aren't very conducive to successful potty training, so we might face some potty regression before she figures the whole potty thing out. That's OK! We're just rolling with it.
Showing posts with label potty training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potty training. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Baby Steps in Potty Training
Joanna is making definite progress with her potty training, but it is a long process. She now actively tries to pee when we put her on the potty. I took a tip I read online, and we now set a potty timer every 10 minutes once it is close to when she needs to go. Oliver loves setting the potty timer!
She still has lots of accidents. It's as if she realizes she is supposed to be on the potty but doesn't understand she's not supposed to pee everywhere else! All I do is tell her pee-pee is supposed to go in the potty. After an accident, I'll put her back on the potty, and she will usually squeeze out a little more and cheer.
So, we are still having regular accidents but also more regular successes! I'd say she has two accidents a day and two successful potty attempts a day. She is most definitely not trained yet, but it's good to see progress. We'll just keep it up and hope she continues progressing. It's been almost two weeks now!
She still has lots of accidents. It's as if she realizes she is supposed to be on the potty but doesn't understand she's not supposed to pee everywhere else! All I do is tell her pee-pee is supposed to go in the potty. After an accident, I'll put her back on the potty, and she will usually squeeze out a little more and cheer.
So, we are still having regular accidents but also more regular successes! I'd say she has two accidents a day and two successful potty attempts a day. She is most definitely not trained yet, but it's good to see progress. We'll just keep it up and hope she continues progressing. It's been almost two weeks now!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Two Points!
I think Jo is starting to get the hang of the potty thing... sort of. She farted on the potty twice today. Both times, she jumped up, clapped, and yelled, "Yay!" Both times, she insisted on bringing her potty to the toilet, dumping in the imaginary poop, and flushing it.
That's progress.
...right?
That's progress.
...right?
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Our Potty Training "Progress" So Far
So far, potty training is going okay. Joanna is very willing to sit on the potty. She hasn't yet made the association that she's supposed to do anything with it. Let's just say that Joanna sees her potty as a really great chair! It's so fun to sit on.
We've also run into a problem I didn't foresee. Joanna must be part camel because she can wait hours to pee. I am not joking that she has been regularly waiting 4-5 hours in the morning to finally go. We bought a pack of those Horizon milk boxes. The kids love them but typically only get them as a special treat since they are a little pricy (more than a dollar a box). I read that many kids need to use the bathroom about 45 minutes to an hour after drinking lots of liquid. Even if I pump Jo full of milk and water, that little girl can hold it 'til the cows come home!
I'd based my potty training plan off of what worked for Oliver. The idea was to try to keep her on the potty as much as possible around the time she needed to go (without forcing her). I'd utilize books and Barney & Sesame Street videos. When she went, I would cheer and applaud and give her a treat! Eventually, she would start to learn that going to the bathroom in the potty is a very good thing. Oliver started to understand the association after about a week. During that first week, more than half of his bathroom breaks were successful (done on the potty). That helped him learn what the potty was for.
Joanna is different. I'll wait a few hours and put her on the pot. I'll read to her, let her watch videos, even feed her her meals! She'll get off for a while, and then we'll try again. Rinse and repeat, until she finally goes. Sometimes, it's on the potty, and, sometimes, it's on the floor. We're having about 1 successful potty attempt a day, and I'm not sure if that will provide a strong enough association for her to learn to use it.
I'm working on adjusting the potty training plan to fit Jo's needs. She tends to go to the bathroom as soon as she wakes up from sleep. So, I've started putting her down for nap time in her undies instead of a diaper. When her nap time is nearing the end, I open the door and listen for her to start stirring. The moment she starts to wake up, I bring her over to her potty and offer her something like a cracker. She happily snacks for a bit and then goes. This has been the technique that has gotten me the most successful potty attempts so far.
For now, I plan on just sticking with the training. We started on Saturday, and today is Wednesday. I will probably continue with the rigorous training through Labor Day and then reevaluate if necessary. I know Joanna is developmentally ready for the potty, and so I see this as just a matter of me setting aside enough time and focus to catch her when she goes!
We've also run into a problem I didn't foresee. Joanna must be part camel because she can wait hours to pee. I am not joking that she has been regularly waiting 4-5 hours in the morning to finally go. We bought a pack of those Horizon milk boxes. The kids love them but typically only get them as a special treat since they are a little pricy (more than a dollar a box). I read that many kids need to use the bathroom about 45 minutes to an hour after drinking lots of liquid. Even if I pump Jo full of milk and water, that little girl can hold it 'til the cows come home!
I'd based my potty training plan off of what worked for Oliver. The idea was to try to keep her on the potty as much as possible around the time she needed to go (without forcing her). I'd utilize books and Barney & Sesame Street videos. When she went, I would cheer and applaud and give her a treat! Eventually, she would start to learn that going to the bathroom in the potty is a very good thing. Oliver started to understand the association after about a week. During that first week, more than half of his bathroom breaks were successful (done on the potty). That helped him learn what the potty was for.
Joanna is different. I'll wait a few hours and put her on the pot. I'll read to her, let her watch videos, even feed her her meals! She'll get off for a while, and then we'll try again. Rinse and repeat, until she finally goes. Sometimes, it's on the potty, and, sometimes, it's on the floor. We're having about 1 successful potty attempt a day, and I'm not sure if that will provide a strong enough association for her to learn to use it.
I'm working on adjusting the potty training plan to fit Jo's needs. She tends to go to the bathroom as soon as she wakes up from sleep. So, I've started putting her down for nap time in her undies instead of a diaper. When her nap time is nearing the end, I open the door and listen for her to start stirring. The moment she starts to wake up, I bring her over to her potty and offer her something like a cracker. She happily snacks for a bit and then goes. This has been the technique that has gotten me the most successful potty attempts so far.
For now, I plan on just sticking with the training. We started on Saturday, and today is Wednesday. I will probably continue with the rigorous training through Labor Day and then reevaluate if necessary. I know Joanna is developmentally ready for the potty, and so I see this as just a matter of me setting aside enough time and focus to catch her when she goes!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Our Potty Training Plan
So, we set a foundation for what will hopefully be successful potty training (link here: http://becky-shattuck.blogspot.com/2013/08/potty-training-my-21-month-old.html). What's next?
At this point, Joanna doesn't even know what peeing is. I mean, she's always worn a diaper. So, now that the foundation for potty training is there, our first step in training is teaching her what it is to pee. This will involve wearing underwear during the day and having accidents. Our goal isn't to punish her when she pees on the floor. It is to teach her that she peed. So, when Jo pees on the floor, I will tell her what she did. "Joanna! You peed! There's your pee-pee!" Then, I will tell her where she is supposed to pee, "Your pee-pee needs to go in the potty, Jo!" I will show her the potty. Then, we will clean up the mess together because, as I said, toddlers love helping!
If Jo poops her pants, then I need to remember not to tell her it is gross. If she is ashamed of pooping, she won't want to do it. She will hide it. If she poops, I need to tell her what she did. "Joanna! You pooped!" Then, I will drop as much of the poop as I can in the toilet, so she can see where it goes, and we can flush it together. She can even wave bye. "Bye, poop!"
Once Jo has an accident, I will make note of the time. If she has an accident at, say, 8am, then I need to be ready to put her on the potty at about 9:30am. Oliver always had to go about 1.5 hours after the last time he went. I had to learn his schedule. Joanna's schedule might be different. So, I will need to learn her schedule. I assume her schedule will be similar to Oliver's, but I can't know until I try! My mom told me kids often have to go to the bathroom right after eating. It might be a good idea to give your child his/her meal about an hour after the last accident. When your child is done eating, then try the potty.
Yes, those are undies on her head. Jo loves her new undies!
In the beginning, I know Joanna will not use the potty when I put her on it. She doesn't even know what peeing is much less peeing on command. I will base her training on what I did for Oliver. This is how I started actively potty training Oliver, right when he turned 20 months old:
1. I learned his potty schedule. He peed about every 1.5 hours. I learned his pee schedule by taking him out of diapers. You aren't going to know when your kid pees if he/she is wearing diapers! Potty training your toddler involves underwear and accidents. Oliver's schedule was 1.5 hours, but I need to be prepared for Joanna to have a shorter, longer, or more sporadic schedule.
2. I put him on the potty shortly before the 1.5 hour mark from the last time he went. Oliver went like clockwork, which really helped in his potty training. I hope Joanna goes regularly, too. If not, potty training her might involve more accidents. That's OK. I am prepared!
3. I then did my best to keep Oliver on the potty as long as possible without making it a punishment. The potty was his special seat to watch videos and read books. He had a special book just for the potty: Lama Lama Holidays. He only got that book when he was on the potty. He would usually sit on the potty for 30 minutes at a time.
4. I sat next to him when he sat on the potty. Remember how I said the goal is to teach Joanna what it means to pee? I needed to be there with Oliver to tell him when he peed. It would be very easy for a kid to tinkle in the potty and not notice--not realize they caused the sound. I was there to tell him right away when he peed!
5a. About half the time, he peed in the potty before the half hour was over. If he peed in the potty, I celebrated big time! I cheered for him and clapped and gave him a high five. I gave him chocolate chips. He got to help me pour his pee-pee from his little potty to the toilet and flush it. It was such a celebration! He was so proud. It was very important I was sitting there with him. If I missed when he peed, I wouldn't have celebrated him at the right time, and he might not have learned the positive correlation between peeing in the potty and celebration.
5b. If Oliver didn't want to sit on the potty anymore, I didn't make him. I didn't want the potty to be a punishment or a bad thing to him. If he got off the potty, I simply turned off his videos or put his potty books up. He only got those on the potty! Sometimes, he would choose to sit back down. If he sat back down, we continued to read and watch Sesame Street videos. If he didn't choose to sit back down, I would put back on his undies and let him play. This almost always led to an accident, of course. That's OK! Accidents happen. Remember what I said in the beginning of this post: I don't want to punish my kids for peeing. I want them to learn what it means to pee. When Oliver had an accident, I told him what he did. "You peed! Uh, oh! That's supposed to go in the potty!" We cleaned it up together: not as a punishment, but just because it was something we needed to do. We also changed his underwear right away. By keeping him dry, he started to hate the feeling of being wet. He didn't want to pee in his undies anymore!
These first steps in potty training took a solid week. That week, we barely left the house. Potty training a toddler is a pretty big commitment (which is why I've been putting it off with Joanna until now). For an entire week, Oliver and I hung in or near the house so I could be sure to get him on the potty when it was time. I didn't mind if he had an accident outside, of course, but I didn't want to drive around and do errands with him in his diaper. If he had lots of accidents in his diaper, he wouldn't really learn about what it means to pee. I don't think his potty-training would have been as successful. So, if you can, pick a week when you can be home a lot to start potty training. That is what we're doing this week. It really stinks to be stuck at home for a week, but I think one week is worth it to be mostly diaper-free and potty trained during the day!
So, that is the plan I used with Oliver. It is the plan I'm following with Jo. I started our week on Saturday. Tomorrow, I will update on how these steps have been working out for us over these past few days. Will I be tearing my hair out? Will I push back potty training? Will I be happy I started? Will Jo have successful potty attempts? To be continued.
At this point, Joanna doesn't even know what peeing is. I mean, she's always worn a diaper. So, now that the foundation for potty training is there, our first step in training is teaching her what it is to pee. This will involve wearing underwear during the day and having accidents. Our goal isn't to punish her when she pees on the floor. It is to teach her that she peed. So, when Jo pees on the floor, I will tell her what she did. "Joanna! You peed! There's your pee-pee!" Then, I will tell her where she is supposed to pee, "Your pee-pee needs to go in the potty, Jo!" I will show her the potty. Then, we will clean up the mess together because, as I said, toddlers love helping!
If Jo poops her pants, then I need to remember not to tell her it is gross. If she is ashamed of pooping, she won't want to do it. She will hide it. If she poops, I need to tell her what she did. "Joanna! You pooped!" Then, I will drop as much of the poop as I can in the toilet, so she can see where it goes, and we can flush it together. She can even wave bye. "Bye, poop!"
Once Jo has an accident, I will make note of the time. If she has an accident at, say, 8am, then I need to be ready to put her on the potty at about 9:30am. Oliver always had to go about 1.5 hours after the last time he went. I had to learn his schedule. Joanna's schedule might be different. So, I will need to learn her schedule. I assume her schedule will be similar to Oliver's, but I can't know until I try! My mom told me kids often have to go to the bathroom right after eating. It might be a good idea to give your child his/her meal about an hour after the last accident. When your child is done eating, then try the potty.
In the beginning, I know Joanna will not use the potty when I put her on it. She doesn't even know what peeing is much less peeing on command. I will base her training on what I did for Oliver. This is how I started actively potty training Oliver, right when he turned 20 months old:
1. I learned his potty schedule. He peed about every 1.5 hours. I learned his pee schedule by taking him out of diapers. You aren't going to know when your kid pees if he/she is wearing diapers! Potty training your toddler involves underwear and accidents. Oliver's schedule was 1.5 hours, but I need to be prepared for Joanna to have a shorter, longer, or more sporadic schedule.
2. I put him on the potty shortly before the 1.5 hour mark from the last time he went. Oliver went like clockwork, which really helped in his potty training. I hope Joanna goes regularly, too. If not, potty training her might involve more accidents. That's OK. I am prepared!
3. I then did my best to keep Oliver on the potty as long as possible without making it a punishment. The potty was his special seat to watch videos and read books. He had a special book just for the potty: Lama Lama Holidays. He only got that book when he was on the potty. He would usually sit on the potty for 30 minutes at a time.
4. I sat next to him when he sat on the potty. Remember how I said the goal is to teach Joanna what it means to pee? I needed to be there with Oliver to tell him when he peed. It would be very easy for a kid to tinkle in the potty and not notice--not realize they caused the sound. I was there to tell him right away when he peed!
5a. About half the time, he peed in the potty before the half hour was over. If he peed in the potty, I celebrated big time! I cheered for him and clapped and gave him a high five. I gave him chocolate chips. He got to help me pour his pee-pee from his little potty to the toilet and flush it. It was such a celebration! He was so proud. It was very important I was sitting there with him. If I missed when he peed, I wouldn't have celebrated him at the right time, and he might not have learned the positive correlation between peeing in the potty and celebration.
5b. If Oliver didn't want to sit on the potty anymore, I didn't make him. I didn't want the potty to be a punishment or a bad thing to him. If he got off the potty, I simply turned off his videos or put his potty books up. He only got those on the potty! Sometimes, he would choose to sit back down. If he sat back down, we continued to read and watch Sesame Street videos. If he didn't choose to sit back down, I would put back on his undies and let him play. This almost always led to an accident, of course. That's OK! Accidents happen. Remember what I said in the beginning of this post: I don't want to punish my kids for peeing. I want them to learn what it means to pee. When Oliver had an accident, I told him what he did. "You peed! Uh, oh! That's supposed to go in the potty!" We cleaned it up together: not as a punishment, but just because it was something we needed to do. We also changed his underwear right away. By keeping him dry, he started to hate the feeling of being wet. He didn't want to pee in his undies anymore!
These first steps in potty training took a solid week. That week, we barely left the house. Potty training a toddler is a pretty big commitment (which is why I've been putting it off with Joanna until now). For an entire week, Oliver and I hung in or near the house so I could be sure to get him on the potty when it was time. I didn't mind if he had an accident outside, of course, but I didn't want to drive around and do errands with him in his diaper. If he had lots of accidents in his diaper, he wouldn't really learn about what it means to pee. I don't think his potty-training would have been as successful. So, if you can, pick a week when you can be home a lot to start potty training. That is what we're doing this week. It really stinks to be stuck at home for a week, but I think one week is worth it to be mostly diaper-free and potty trained during the day!
So, that is the plan I used with Oliver. It is the plan I'm following with Jo. I started our week on Saturday. Tomorrow, I will update on how these steps have been working out for us over these past few days. Will I be tearing my hair out? Will I push back potty training? Will I be happy I started? Will Jo have successful potty attempts? To be continued.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Potty Training Regression?
I was so excited to announce earlier this week that Oliver was pee trained! For over a week, he let me know when he had to pee. He'd walk up to me and tug on his undies, or he'd simply walk into the bathroom and set up his potty seat.
Starting Tuesday night, everything changed suddenly. First, he peed in the kitchen. It was no big deal. It was normal for him to have an accident about once a day, but he'd usually stop when he started and then run to the bathroom. This time, he peed everywhere! I told him it was a "sneaky pee-pee" and wasn't a big deal. We cleaned it up and all was well. Half an hour later, we were up in my bedroom reading books for bed time. Oliver peed on our bed. Hmmm.
Well, all day yesterday, I had to bug him to go on the potty. He'd hold it for three hours, and I'd say every 5 minutes or so, "Do you want to pee-pee on the potty?" He still doesn't say, "No," yet, but he'll look away instead of saying yes. If I try to force it and put him on there, he freaks out. That's not good, so I don't ever put him on there unless he says, "Yes." Once, I tried bribery and sat him up there with a cookie. He still freaked out at me. He went to the potty when I repeatedly asked him over and over, but he also had multiple accidents. I'd catch them as soon as they started and ran him over to the potty. I'd say he had three, which is way more than he had all week long!
Today, it's kind of the same thing. He'd gone all morning without peeing, so at 7:30am, I tried to convince him to go by asking him questions like, "Can you get on the potty all by yourself?" He didn't want to. I don't want to pressure him too much or make it a power thing, but he's also little and forgets, so I need to ask. Anyway, about ten minutes later, I catch him making his pee face. I ran him over to the potty, where he peed, and I made a big deal out of it. Still, I was concerned and thought, "Why didn't he want to go on the potty?" Half an hour later, he started to pee on the floor in front of my husband, who ran him over to the potty, where he finished.
We went to the coffee store today. Oliver seems to love public potties and figuring out how they work. He eagerly went pee-pee in there and flushed it.
I made a big deal out of it again, but I'm wondering about the regression. I definitely don't want to confuse him, so I want to continue with the training, but I also don't want to force him, and I don't want to plead with him to go to give him a power trip. I'm wondering if I should just let him have accidents, or if I should continue running him to the potty when he starts to go.
He definitely understands the concept of using the potty, and he's definitely able to hold it (like I said, he holds it long enough to set up his potty seat and everything). Honestly, I think it's just lost its novelty. I'm hoping being consistent will teach him that it's just a regular part of our daily routine, and it's not a big deal. I think I'm going to stop asking him if he has to go all the time, or at least not make a big deal out of it when I do ask him. Hmm, we'll see how this goes.
Update: Maybe I worried for nothing. All afternoon, Oliver has been willing to use the potty. He even sat down on it all by himself and pooped for the first time! This morning, I read about potty training regression, so I know it's a real thing. I guess we'll see what happens!
Starting Tuesday night, everything changed suddenly. First, he peed in the kitchen. It was no big deal. It was normal for him to have an accident about once a day, but he'd usually stop when he started and then run to the bathroom. This time, he peed everywhere! I told him it was a "sneaky pee-pee" and wasn't a big deal. We cleaned it up and all was well. Half an hour later, we were up in my bedroom reading books for bed time. Oliver peed on our bed. Hmmm.
Well, all day yesterday, I had to bug him to go on the potty. He'd hold it for three hours, and I'd say every 5 minutes or so, "Do you want to pee-pee on the potty?" He still doesn't say, "No," yet, but he'll look away instead of saying yes. If I try to force it and put him on there, he freaks out. That's not good, so I don't ever put him on there unless he says, "Yes." Once, I tried bribery and sat him up there with a cookie. He still freaked out at me. He went to the potty when I repeatedly asked him over and over, but he also had multiple accidents. I'd catch them as soon as they started and ran him over to the potty. I'd say he had three, which is way more than he had all week long!
Today, it's kind of the same thing. He'd gone all morning without peeing, so at 7:30am, I tried to convince him to go by asking him questions like, "Can you get on the potty all by yourself?" He didn't want to. I don't want to pressure him too much or make it a power thing, but he's also little and forgets, so I need to ask. Anyway, about ten minutes later, I catch him making his pee face. I ran him over to the potty, where he peed, and I made a big deal out of it. Still, I was concerned and thought, "Why didn't he want to go on the potty?" Half an hour later, he started to pee on the floor in front of my husband, who ran him over to the potty, where he finished.
We went to the coffee store today. Oliver seems to love public potties and figuring out how they work. He eagerly went pee-pee in there and flushed it.
I made a big deal out of it again, but I'm wondering about the regression. I definitely don't want to confuse him, so I want to continue with the training, but I also don't want to force him, and I don't want to plead with him to go to give him a power trip. I'm wondering if I should just let him have accidents, or if I should continue running him to the potty when he starts to go.
He definitely understands the concept of using the potty, and he's definitely able to hold it (like I said, he holds it long enough to set up his potty seat and everything). Honestly, I think it's just lost its novelty. I'm hoping being consistent will teach him that it's just a regular part of our daily routine, and it's not a big deal. I think I'm going to stop asking him if he has to go all the time, or at least not make a big deal out of it when I do ask him. Hmm, we'll see how this goes.
Update: Maybe I worried for nothing. All afternoon, Oliver has been willing to use the potty. He even sat down on it all by himself and pooped for the first time! This morning, I read about potty training regression, so I know it's a real thing. I guess we'll see what happens!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Pee Trained!
I think it's safe to say that Oliver is pee-potty trained! He has had only one accident a day for the last five days. Yesterday, that accident was during his nap, and today, it was immediately after.
When he has to pee, he runs into the bathroom, lifts up the lid, and sets his potty seat on it! Sometimes, he doesn't realize he has to pee until he starts. So, there sometimes are a few drops on his undies. He looks down in surprise and runs to the bathroom! So cute.
He loves his froggy potty upstairs. Sometimes, I think he likes it a little too much. He'll sit on there and try to squeeze out a few drops even when he doesn't have to go. Afterwards, he picks the inner bowl out and runs to the toilet with it. He dumps it in and flushes. Then he'll go back and try to squeeze a few more drops out so he can do it again.
It's still rare for him to poop in his potty. He doesn't like to sit for very long. In fact, a lot of times he'll pee, get off, and then needs to finish peeing a few minutes later.
He wears undies around the house, but we put him in diapers whenever we leave. Also, we usually don't leave the house until just *after* he pees, and this has successfully prevented any accidents outside the home.
Hurray for potty training!
When he has to pee, he runs into the bathroom, lifts up the lid, and sets his potty seat on it! Sometimes, he doesn't realize he has to pee until he starts. So, there sometimes are a few drops on his undies. He looks down in surprise and runs to the bathroom! So cute.
He loves his froggy potty upstairs. Sometimes, I think he likes it a little too much. He'll sit on there and try to squeeze out a few drops even when he doesn't have to go. Afterwards, he picks the inner bowl out and runs to the toilet with it. He dumps it in and flushes. Then he'll go back and try to squeeze a few more drops out so he can do it again.
It's still rare for him to poop in his potty. He doesn't like to sit for very long. In fact, a lot of times he'll pee, get off, and then needs to finish peeing a few minutes later.
He wears undies around the house, but we put him in diapers whenever we leave. Also, we usually don't leave the house until just *after* he pees, and this has successfully prevented any accidents outside the home.
Hurray for potty training!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Twelve Hours, No Accidents!
Oliver is getting to be a pro at using the potty! If I set him on there and he doesn't have to go, he whines and says, "Up!" If he has to pee, he starts focusing and pees within seconds.
Today, he had *no* accidents from 7am to 7pm! Twice, when he had to pee, he went into the bathroom himself and set his potty seat on the toilet.
The hardest times to get him to go are when he's waking up. When he wakes up, he's crabby and wants to be held. He will scream if we put him down, even on the potty. So, we keep his overnight diaper on him for an additional hour after he wakes up. This is why his potty training doesn't start until 7am.
Oliver has napped for two days in a row with just undies on, and he had no accidents either time. When he wakes up, he won't sit on the potty, but he will hold it for another 20-30 minutes until he's ready to sit on the potty. I'm fine with that, but I'm also paranoid that he's going to pee on me during that window.
Today, he had *no* accidents from 7am to 7pm! Twice, when he had to pee, he went into the bathroom himself and set his potty seat on the toilet.
The hardest times to get him to go are when he's waking up. When he wakes up, he's crabby and wants to be held. He will scream if we put him down, even on the potty. So, we keep his overnight diaper on him for an additional hour after he wakes up. This is why his potty training doesn't start until 7am.
Oliver has napped for two days in a row with just undies on, and he had no accidents either time. When he wakes up, he won't sit on the potty, but he will hold it for another 20-30 minutes until he's ready to sit on the potty. I'm fine with that, but I'm also paranoid that he's going to pee on me during that window.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Potty Training Milestone?
I think we made a huge leap in potty training today!
Let me start from the beginning.
This last weekend, I decided to get back into the potty training routine. Since January, we've stopped putting him on the potty regularly and just do it at night before bed. He occasionally went, but he did on rare occasions. He peed a lot on the floor at night during naked time. We always made sure to say, "Psssssssssssss," when he went so he would associate the sound with his actions. When he was done, we'd clean it up. I'd tell him he did a good job peeing, and I'd add, "Maybe later, you'll pee on the potty!"
Anyway, like I said, we decided to jump back into the potty routine beginning Friday. I kept him naked or in underpants all day, unless it was his nap time or we were leaving the house. He didn't have *any* accidents in his underpants all weekend, but he also didn't pee in the potty. He'd wait until his diaper was on and then pee. I actually thought this was a good sign. To me, it meant he knew how to hold it.
Coincidentally, my cousin brought up the topic of potty training on Facebook on Saturday. I got a few tips from people, including the idea of using books to keep your toddler on the potty. So, I started reading to Oliver while he sat on the pot. He loved it! He wanted me to read for a good ten minutes as he sat on the throne. This proved to be invaluable this week.
Yesterday, he started to pee in his underpants. I was surprised, and told him happily, "Let's pee on the potty!" I slid his underpants off, and he stopped peeing. I put him on the toilet (with his potty seat), and he resumed peeing. I made such a big deal out of it. He got chocolate chips and celebration. He looked so proud and happy!
Today, he asked me to put him on the potty. He does that by walking into the bathroom (he can open the downstairs one) and placing his potty seat on the toilet. I put him up there and read him his book, Llama, Llama Holidays. When I was done reading it, I asked him if he'd like to go pee pee on the potty. He looked down and started flexing his muscles repeatedly. Finally, two single drops came out. I couldn't believe that he was trying so hard! I felt so proud of him. I made a big deal out of his two drops of pee (since he clearly tried so hard for them). He flushed the toilet, and we ran into the kitchen to get chocolate chips. I gave him about 8, one at a time. Each time announcing, "Oliver, you did such a good job going pee pee in the potty! You went pee pee in the potty, so you get choco chips!" He was thrilled. Then, I told him we'd call Daddy and tell him the good news. He beamed the entire time.
Oliver wore a diaper for his nap and then to the grocery store. After that, he got a bath. Andrew came home shortly later because I wasn't feeling well. Andrew put Oliver on the potty and read him some more Llama, Llama. I was surprised to hear Andrew say, "Good job! Psssst! Good job, Oliver!" I thought for sure that Oliver wouldn't have to go because I assumed he'd peed in the warm bath. I didn't feel well, but I was excited enough to get up and join in the celebration. Again, Oliver got chocolate chips and was told what a big boy he is.
So, Oliver's not potty trained yet, but he clearly is able to hold his urine, and he clearly knows that the potty is for peeing. Fingers crossed, I hope this means he'll be potty trained soon! I would love for Oliver to be out of diapers before his baby sister arrives this fall. Hurray!
Let me start from the beginning.
This last weekend, I decided to get back into the potty training routine. Since January, we've stopped putting him on the potty regularly and just do it at night before bed. He occasionally went, but he did on rare occasions. He peed a lot on the floor at night during naked time. We always made sure to say, "Psssssssssssss," when he went so he would associate the sound with his actions. When he was done, we'd clean it up. I'd tell him he did a good job peeing, and I'd add, "Maybe later, you'll pee on the potty!"
Anyway, like I said, we decided to jump back into the potty routine beginning Friday. I kept him naked or in underpants all day, unless it was his nap time or we were leaving the house. He didn't have *any* accidents in his underpants all weekend, but he also didn't pee in the potty. He'd wait until his diaper was on and then pee. I actually thought this was a good sign. To me, it meant he knew how to hold it.
Coincidentally, my cousin brought up the topic of potty training on Facebook on Saturday. I got a few tips from people, including the idea of using books to keep your toddler on the potty. So, I started reading to Oliver while he sat on the pot. He loved it! He wanted me to read for a good ten minutes as he sat on the throne. This proved to be invaluable this week.
Yesterday, he started to pee in his underpants. I was surprised, and told him happily, "Let's pee on the potty!" I slid his underpants off, and he stopped peeing. I put him on the toilet (with his potty seat), and he resumed peeing. I made such a big deal out of it. He got chocolate chips and celebration. He looked so proud and happy!
Today, he asked me to put him on the potty. He does that by walking into the bathroom (he can open the downstairs one) and placing his potty seat on the toilet. I put him up there and read him his book, Llama, Llama Holidays. When I was done reading it, I asked him if he'd like to go pee pee on the potty. He looked down and started flexing his muscles repeatedly. Finally, two single drops came out. I couldn't believe that he was trying so hard! I felt so proud of him. I made a big deal out of his two drops of pee (since he clearly tried so hard for them). He flushed the toilet, and we ran into the kitchen to get chocolate chips. I gave him about 8, one at a time. Each time announcing, "Oliver, you did such a good job going pee pee in the potty! You went pee pee in the potty, so you get choco chips!" He was thrilled. Then, I told him we'd call Daddy and tell him the good news. He beamed the entire time.
Oliver wore a diaper for his nap and then to the grocery store. After that, he got a bath. Andrew came home shortly later because I wasn't feeling well. Andrew put Oliver on the potty and read him some more Llama, Llama. I was surprised to hear Andrew say, "Good job! Psssst! Good job, Oliver!" I thought for sure that Oliver wouldn't have to go because I assumed he'd peed in the warm bath. I didn't feel well, but I was excited enough to get up and join in the celebration. Again, Oliver got chocolate chips and was told what a big boy he is.
So, Oliver's not potty trained yet, but he clearly is able to hold his urine, and he clearly knows that the potty is for peeing. Fingers crossed, I hope this means he'll be potty trained soon! I would love for Oliver to be out of diapers before his baby sister arrives this fall. Hurray!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
18 Month Doctor Visit
Oliver turned 19 months old yesterday, but I wasn't able to get him in for his 18-month check up until today. Poor Oliver had a meltdown that lasted the entire time we were in the exam room. He wanted me to pick him up and carry him, but I couldn't do that. I just wanted to cry, I felt so bad, but instead I tried to cuddle him and distract him and then I tried being stern. Nothing worked. The moment we left the office, he stopped shrieking and crying.
Oliver's height is 32.5", which puts him in the 46th percentile. His weight is 22 pounds, 11 ounces, which puts him in the 9th percentile for weight. His head circumference is 19", which is the 60th percentile.
The doctor asked me if we'd started potty training yet. I was happy that her question seemed to indicate that it's perfectly acceptable to start teaching now. I told her we've started, but we haven't started working on it seriously yet. She told me that's good and gave me a little handout with a few tips (nothing really new). I decided that I want to start seriously working with Oliver on potty training after our trip to Chicago in June (since I think travel will just mess him up while he's learning).
Oliver's height is 32.5", which puts him in the 46th percentile. His weight is 22 pounds, 11 ounces, which puts him in the 9th percentile for weight. His head circumference is 19", which is the 60th percentile.
The doctor asked me if we'd started potty training yet. I was happy that her question seemed to indicate that it's perfectly acceptable to start teaching now. I told her we've started, but we haven't started working on it seriously yet. She told me that's good and gave me a little handout with a few tips (nothing really new). I decided that I want to start seriously working with Oliver on potty training after our trip to Chicago in June (since I think travel will just mess him up while he's learning).
Friday, February 4, 2011
Troubles in the Land of Potty
Oliver went nearly a week without his potty when we went to Saint Thomas. When we got back, he got really mad when I set him on it. I really don't want him to hate the potty, so I didn't force him onto it.
It was a few days later when he asked to sit on the throne. I took off his diaper, and it was warm & wet. I knew he didn't have to go, but I sat him on there and told him what a good boy he was for sitting on the potty.
About once a day for these last two weeks, he's asked to sit on the potty (but he doesn't want to sit on it unless he asks). Every time, his diaper is warm & wet when I take it off. Two days ago, we had very cold weather. Our furnace couldn't keep up, and our house was in the high 50s/low 60s. When Oliver asked to go on the potty, I sat him on there while keeping him in his diaper and fleece jammies. My husband commented, "He's going to be so confused." I don't think that it's actually affected him, but time will tell. On the positive side, I think he is associating his pee with the potty. On the negative side, he's asking to go after he pees and so hasn't actually gone on the potty since before our vacation.
I'm not sure how I'm going to proceed. For now, I'm just letting him know that he's a good boy for sitting on the potty. I'll put him on there every time he asks. Next week, I think I'll try busting out the treats again to motivate him to sit on the pot after his nap. Oh, and I also cashed in my Pampers points today to get him a potty seat that attaches to the toilet. I don't think he'll use that for a while, but it'll be nice to have!
It was a few days later when he asked to sit on the throne. I took off his diaper, and it was warm & wet. I knew he didn't have to go, but I sat him on there and told him what a good boy he was for sitting on the potty.
About once a day for these last two weeks, he's asked to sit on the potty (but he doesn't want to sit on it unless he asks). Every time, his diaper is warm & wet when I take it off. Two days ago, we had very cold weather. Our furnace couldn't keep up, and our house was in the high 50s/low 60s. When Oliver asked to go on the potty, I sat him on there while keeping him in his diaper and fleece jammies. My husband commented, "He's going to be so confused." I don't think that it's actually affected him, but time will tell. On the positive side, I think he is associating his pee with the potty. On the negative side, he's asking to go after he pees and so hasn't actually gone on the potty since before our vacation.
I'm not sure how I'm going to proceed. For now, I'm just letting him know that he's a good boy for sitting on the potty. I'll put him on there every time he asks. Next week, I think I'll try busting out the treats again to motivate him to sit on the pot after his nap. Oh, and I also cashed in my Pampers points today to get him a potty seat that attaches to the toilet. I don't think he'll use that for a while, but it'll be nice to have!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Potty Training Milestone?
While eating his breakfast of chopped bananas this morning, Oliver started pointing down and waving to his potty, saying, "More!" I asked him if he'd like to sit on his potty. Then, I got him undressed and put on the potty. I went to get him his "choco chips," and when I came back, he'd piddled! I was so excited. I told him what a good boy he is, gave him "three!" choco chips, and then let him watch me as I flushed it down the toilet.
Of course, who knows, he could have been pointing to the potty because he wanted videos or choco chips. It'll take another time or two to know if he understands the concept, but it's so exciting that he might! Now I wonder if I ought to figure out a way to bring his pot with us on vacation... that might be too much of a challenge, but I'd hate to take a big step backward.
Of course, who knows, he could have been pointing to the potty because he wanted videos or choco chips. It'll take another time or two to know if he understands the concept, but it's so exciting that he might! Now I wonder if I ought to figure out a way to bring his pot with us on vacation... that might be too much of a challenge, but I'd hate to take a big step backward.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Adventures in Potty Training
Oliver's been in the early stages of potty training for about a week now. It's going very well. Initially, we were giving him cookies and treats while he sat on the potty. While it helped him develop a positive association with the potty (he almost never gets junk food on a normal day), I've come to realize that he's eating too many. Yesterday, for example, he ate four cookies. He was so full from the junk that he wouldn't eat dinner and wouldn't drink milk before bed. That's not good. So, we're moving on to youtube videos. He loves watching Raffi songs.
When it's time for him to go (I'll discuss that in a moment), I let him know that it's time to sit on the potty. I remove his diaper and sit him on the potty, and then I put on a youtube video for him. Usually, if he drinks some water, it helps him tinkle. Also, if I speak soothingly to him and play more relaxing videos (like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"), it seems to also help him go.
I have a rule in place for his early potty training. Oliver sits on the potty until one of these three things happen:
*He goes potty
*He raises his arms to come off the potty
*Ten minutes pass
I'd say that he uses the potty about half the time he's on it. There are some days when he goes right away, every time. There are other days where he sits on there, watches his videos, but doesn't go.
Oliver seems to want to pee every hour and a half or so. He doesn't pee when he sleeps, but he pees shortly after. So, when he wakes up, I spend about five minutes getting him in good spirits and then plop him on the potty. If his diaper is already warm (from his piddle), then I let him watch one video, tell him good job for sitting on the potty, and take him off. If it's not already warm, then I know he has to go! He usually goes quickly. I try to make the "psssssst" sound as he goes, but I often miss him going because he's so quiet. Once I see he's gone, I cheer for him, and then we go flush it down the big potty. An hour and a half later, we do it again.
This morning, Oliver piddled in his potty. I was so proud of him. An hour and a half later, I checked his diaper, and it was dry. I took him over to the potty and took off his diaper, and--wouldn't you know?--it was warm! He tinkled as I carried him over to the potty. Ha!
Going #2 in the potty hasn't gone well the last couple of days. I'm only on the phone about 10 minutes out of my day, and Oliver's managed to do his business while I was on the phone yesterday and the day before. I see his "poop face," but it's too difficult to get him undressed and on the potty while on the phone. It takes too long, and by the time I get his diaper off, he's already gone, and I streak it down his leg in my haste. Still, it's so easy to tell when he has to go, that I'm sure he and I will both get better at it as the weeks and months pass.
Although Oliver is not at an age where he can hold his piddle for long, he's doing so well with this early training that I feel (fairly) confident that he can be mostly potty trained at 18-20 months. If that goal needs to change as time passes, I'm fine with that. With the direction things are going now, though, I plan on letting him go sans diaper starting in May because he'll be a year and a half, and it'll be warmer. Until then, I'm going to keep working on teaching him what the potty is for and learning how to detect his sensations and such.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Oliver Piddles in the Potty
Oliver sometimes wakes up crabby from his nap. Andrew and I hung out with him for a little bit to try to keep him in good spirits, and then we put him up on his potty. At first, he was a little mad that he wasn't being held, but we turned on "Mahna Mahna" on youtube and then busted out some yogurt for him. Oliver relaxed and had fun sitting with us watching the Sesame Street short. About two minutes went by, and then he started to piddle! Andrew told him, "Good boy, good boy!" while I whispered, "Psssssst," in his ears (so he starts to associate that with pee). Then, we carried him over to the toilet and let him watch as we poured his piddle in and flushed the toilet!
GOOOOAAAAAL!
As if first steps weren't a big enough milestone to mark this day, Oliver also decided to go poop in his new potty!
Today is day #3 of early potty training. My goal is for Oliver to learn the association between going to the bathroom and the potty. I hope for him to then learn actual potty training in about 6 months.
Around 11:30 this morning, Oliver made his infamous "poop face." I plucked him up off the ground announcing happily, "Boop-boop in the potty!" We got there, and he sat on the potty for about five minutes while I gave him Cheerios, but he never decided to go. The same thing happened half an hour later.
After that, I left him without a diaper and just had him crawl around with his T-shirt and leg warmers. I figured, that way, I'd notice if he peed, too, so I could plunk him on the potty when he started tinkling. Oliver went over an hour without trying to go #1 or #2. What the heck! So I brought him and his potty up to the bathroom. I sat him on it and started up the tub. I did that hoping the sound of the rushing water would cause him to pee. Hehe. Instead, he wanted to get off the potty to look at the water. I don't want him to hate the potty, so I let him. I stood him up and took the potty to the other room. I was gone for about 10 seconds, but by the time I was back, he'd peed all over the floor! Haha. Oh well! The diaper and pants went back on.
Fast forward to 2pm. Andrew called from work to check in on us. After I hung up the phone, I turned to Oliver, and he was making his poop face! I said, "Good boy! Boop-boop! Let's boop in the potty!" I took off his pants and diaper and was a little disappointed to see that there was already a turd in the diaper. Still wanting Oliver to associate the potty with going to the bathroom, I sat him on top of his throne. He was on for less than 30 seconds before he started pooping again. It was official--Oliver pooped in his potty!
I was so excited, I kept praising him as he went, saying, "Good boy, good boy, boop in the potty. Good boy!" And then I'd cheer for him and clap. After he was done, I cleaned him up and I let him watch me flush his poopy in the toilet. Then we called Andrew back, and Andrew congratulated him over the phone.
What an amazing day!
Today is day #3 of early potty training. My goal is for Oliver to learn the association between going to the bathroom and the potty. I hope for him to then learn actual potty training in about 6 months.
Around 11:30 this morning, Oliver made his infamous "poop face." I plucked him up off the ground announcing happily, "Boop-boop in the potty!" We got there, and he sat on the potty for about five minutes while I gave him Cheerios, but he never decided to go. The same thing happened half an hour later.
After that, I left him without a diaper and just had him crawl around with his T-shirt and leg warmers. I figured, that way, I'd notice if he peed, too, so I could plunk him on the potty when he started tinkling. Oliver went over an hour without trying to go #1 or #2. What the heck! So I brought him and his potty up to the bathroom. I sat him on it and started up the tub. I did that hoping the sound of the rushing water would cause him to pee. Hehe. Instead, he wanted to get off the potty to look at the water. I don't want him to hate the potty, so I let him. I stood him up and took the potty to the other room. I was gone for about 10 seconds, but by the time I was back, he'd peed all over the floor! Haha. Oh well! The diaper and pants went back on.
Fast forward to 2pm. Andrew called from work to check in on us. After I hung up the phone, I turned to Oliver, and he was making his poop face! I said, "Good boy! Boop-boop! Let's boop in the potty!" I took off his pants and diaper and was a little disappointed to see that there was already a turd in the diaper. Still wanting Oliver to associate the potty with going to the bathroom, I sat him on top of his throne. He was on for less than 30 seconds before he started pooping again. It was official--Oliver pooped in his potty!
I was so excited, I kept praising him as he went, saying, "Good boy, good boy, boop in the potty. Good boy!" And then I'd cheer for him and clap. After he was done, I cleaned him up and I let him watch me flush his poopy in the toilet. Then we called Andrew back, and Andrew congratulated him over the phone.
What an amazing day!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Boop-Boop in the Potty?
Oliver's potty arrived in the mail today! We ordered it a few weeks ago with the gift card (his birthday gift) from his great-uncle, Scott.
I sat him on it a few times (pictured) and kept telling him, "Potty." He's a little interested in it. A few hours after its arrival, Oliver made his poop face. I was so excited, but I didn't know what to do! I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie (homemade from Oliver's great-great aunt, Bonnie). I ran back into the living room, excitedly telling Oliver, "Good boy! Boop-boop!" Boop-boop is our word for poop. I took off his pants and diaper (in my haste, his turd went flying and landed on the floor behind us). I was a little disappointed that he already pooped, but I decided to make the most of this first training opportunity. I sat him on the potty and repeatedly said, "Good boy! Boop-boop on the potty!" while giving him tastes of the cookie. He was excited to have such a treat and happily sat on the potty for about a minute before raising his arms for me to pull him off.
So, while he didn't actually boop-boop in his potty, he had a positive potty experience. I'm excited to keep it up. I want him to have a positive experience and slowly learn to associate the potty with his boop-boop so we can really start training him in about six months.
I sat him on it a few times (pictured) and kept telling him, "Potty." He's a little interested in it. A few hours after its arrival, Oliver made his poop face. I was so excited, but I didn't know what to do! I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie (homemade from Oliver's great-great aunt, Bonnie). I ran back into the living room, excitedly telling Oliver, "Good boy! Boop-boop!" Boop-boop is our word for poop. I took off his pants and diaper (in my haste, his turd went flying and landed on the floor behind us). I was a little disappointed that he already pooped, but I decided to make the most of this first training opportunity. I sat him on the potty and repeatedly said, "Good boy! Boop-boop on the potty!" while giving him tastes of the cookie. He was excited to have such a treat and happily sat on the potty for about a minute before raising his arms for me to pull him off.
So, while he didn't actually boop-boop in his potty, he had a positive potty experience. I'm excited to keep it up. I want him to have a positive experience and slowly learn to associate the potty with his boop-boop so we can really start training him in about six months.
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